Fate
by Kbeckettcastle
Summary: He thinks maybe this is fate. Or maybe it's the alcohol. But he's always believed in fate, thinks that maybe Kyra wanting more out of life, a life that doesn't include him, isn't such a horrible thing.(Collage AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys so I'm back with a new story and a new beta Abbey. I'm still deciding if I'm going to re edit all my stories.**

**This is based off a prompt I found on tumblr. Kyra and Rick have dated for 2 months. And also Kate and Rick going to college in New York.**

"Rick, can I talk to you?" Kyra asks Rick over the loud, pulsating music at the party. He nods, taking her hand and pulling her out into the cold winter air.

"What's up?" Rick asks, although he thinks he already knows the answer, has seen this coming for a couple weeks. She hardly spoke to him today. She showed up at his dorm asking if she could come to the party. He watches her suck in a breath preparing to answer him.

"I'm leaving," she says, eyes apologetic.

"What do you mean you're leaving?"

"I'm going to France next semester," she tells him, laying a hand on his arm, "To study abroad."

"The deadline to sign up for that was three weeks ago," he says, eyes flashing, all the pieces falling into place. "You've known for three weeks that you're going to be in another country next semester and you're just now telling me? Kyra, winter break is in two weeks. I won't see you again when break starts.. This is pretty much the end of our relationship."

"Rick, I-"

"Why are you telling me now anyways? Why wouldn't you have told me you were considering it before we even started dating?"

"I couldn't wait any longer. I was hoping we could go to my dorm and talk there. You were already here and I needed to tell you tonight so I can start packing up my stuff because I won't be back in January. And because I like you, Rick, and I didn't want things to end before they even really began."

"You're not the only one in this relationship."

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"Too late," he says, taking a swig of his beer and turning away from her. He hears her call his name but ignores her. All he wants now is to forget.

Kate looks over to see a boy sitting on the lounge with a beer in his hand, notices the way his blue eyes are dark and sad. She's pretty sure she saw him walk out with another girl ten minutes ago and assumes he just got his heart broken.

"Are you okay?" Kate asks, sitting next to Rick, careful not to let her own drink slosh over the edges of her red solo cup. He looks over at the sound of her voice, breath catching in his throat. She has the most gorgeous hazel eyes he has ever seen.

He thinks maybe this is fate. Or maybe it's the alcohol. But he's always believed in fate, thinks that maybe Kyra wanting more out of life, a life that doesn't include him, isn't such a horrible thing.

"I'm fine. Thanks," he says with a smile. "What's your name?" he asks her, turning his body towards her, notices her tight black skinny jeans and loose sweater that's hanging off one shoulder, collarbones jutting out against the soft fabric. Her hair is long and curled, a little mussed from dancing, he thinks. She's gorgeous.

"Kate," she smiles softly at him.

Oh, her smile melts his heart.

"I'm Rick," he says. She glances past him and sees her drunken roommate, Maddie, wrap her arms around some guy's neck laughing obnoxiously. The stranger's hands wander and grope her and Kate stands up, decides now is probably the best time to get her friend out of there. Maddie had asked her to come tonight and make sure nothing happened, to be the sober one. Kate had agreed easily, had nothing better to do with her Friday night anyways.

"Um," she smiles at Rick apologetically, "I should probably go, get her into bed," she says, pointing to her roommate. Rick sees the blonde and chuckles, standing up himself.

"I'll see you around, Rick," she says, giving him a shy smile.

He nods, lips quirked upwards happily, watching Kate grab her friend and disappear into the crowd.

The smile falls off of his face. He didn't get her number. Or even her last name. Damn it. He trusts fate, though, and hopes that if she felt the same connection he did, they'll run into each other again.


	2. Chapter 2

**couple of notes**

**- Kate is not Ricks rebound **

**- This story is set in the 90s **

**- what characters would we like to see in the story**

**- and I need someone to do a cover art for me**

Rick walks through the door of the small coffee shop just one mile from his building, shivering off the frigid air from outside. He goes to the counter and orders his usual cappuccino, hoisting his backpack up over his shoulder while he finds a table to sit at as he waits for his drink. The coffee shop is as busy as it usually is, but there's still a few tables open, most people only coming in and out in between classes to grab a cup that will keep their chilled fingers warm.

Rick finds a booth in the corner against the brick wall, decides sitting away from the window where he won't be distracted by the people passing is probably a good idea. He hears his name being called and he leaves his backpack and coat sitting in the booth to save his spot while he goes and grabs his drink. He thanks the barista behind the counter, turning around and running right into someone, apologies falling out of his mouth.  
>He stops, staring at the brunette he just nearly knocked over.<p>

"Kate?" he asks, a smile taking over his features.

"Rick," she says, grinning shyly at him. "Hi."

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

"I was just planning to study, get out of my dorm for a little bit."

"Yeah, me too. Did you order?" He asks, pointing at the counter. She shakes her head no.

"What's your regular?"

"Grande skim latte, two pumps sugar free vanilla," she tells him.

He rattles it off to the barista, paying for the drink as well.

"No, Rick," Kate says, her chilly fingers landing on his arm. "You didn't have to pay for that."

"Don't worry about it," he says. "Want to sit with me? Be my study buddy? I've got a booth saved," he tells her, waving his arm in the direction of his table.

Her eyebrow quirks up. "Study buddy?"

The barista hands him Kate's coffee and she takes it from him gratefully.

"I didn't hear a no," he tells her, leading her to the booth. They slide in across from one another and it's comfortable, feels like they've done this a hundred times before. "So, Kate. I don't know your last name."

"Beckett," she supplies for him.

"Kate Beckett," he says it slowly, tasting it on his tongue. "I like it."

"So? You gonna tell me yours?"

"Castle. Rick Castle."

"Castle, huh? Sounds made up," she tells him, giving him a skeptic look.

"It is," he says, laughs when her eyes widen in surprise. "I changed it. I want to be an author. Actually, I've already got a publisher and I'm working on my first book. So I guess I am an author. Rick Rodgers just didn't sound like the type of name a best-selling mystery novelist would have."

"Rick Rodgers has good alliteration, but I suppose I can see where you're coming from, Castle."

He grins at her and takes a sip of his drink. "So, Kate, are you from New York?"  
>Her face falls and Rick's both intrigued and saddened, wonders what put that look on her face.<p>

"I, uh- technically I am, I guess." He stares at her, waits for the rest of the story. She draws her lower lip between her teeth, looks like she's contemplating telling him the rest or not. After a minute or so she speaks again. "My parents died when I was five. Got into a car accident when they were driving back to the city after a weekend at the cabin they owned upstate. My dad didn't have any family left, not anybody close enough to take me in anyways. My mom's sister still lived in Manhattan when it happened, but when I was six she met a guy from California who was in the city on a business trip. Long story short, they got married when I was seven and we moved to LA."

"Oh, Kate," he says, finds her hand and tangles their fingers together on the tabletop. "I'm sorry. What made you come back to New York for college?"

"I don't know. I got into Stanford, but New York is home. It's where my parents wanted to raise me. So I came back."

"And your aunt and uncle? They were okay with it?"

"Yeah, of course. My aunt has always told me I'm exactly like my mom. Ambitious and stubborn. So I think she saw it coming since I was a freshman in high school."

"I would take a California winter over New York's winter any day," he says.

"I don't know," Kate replies, shrugging, eyes wandering over to the window where flurries of snow are blowing about. "It doesn't feel like Christmas if there isn't any snow on the ground."

"Are you going back to LA for winter break?"

"Only for the week of Christmas, I think. The holidays are so much better on the east coast. But enough about me," she says, squeezing his hand that she hadn't even realised she was still holding. "Where are you from, Castle?"

"Right here in the Big Apple," he says, grinning. "My mother's an actress, a true Broadway diva. My father and I can't get her to leave even if we wanted to."

Kate laughs and he's so happy to see her smile again.

"I don't blame her one bit," she tells him, taking a sip of her latte with the hand that isn't attached to his.

He smiles at her, letting out a soft sigh. Kate Beckett makes him happier than he's been in a long time, happier than he even was with Kyra, and they've only just gotten to know one another. He plans on spending his time making Kate as happy as she makes him for as long as she will let him.


	3. Chapter 3

Kate wakes up shivering and glances at the clock. It's only one o'clock in the morning. The wind is shaking the windows and the snow is falling steadily, covering the earth in a clean blanket of white. The warmth of her boyfriend isn't enough though, so she slips out of Rick's tight embrace to find clothes.

The light shining through the curtains helps her locate her leggings and sweatshirt she had worn over here before they had crawled into bed together. After pulling her clothes on, she climbs back into his bed, pulling the covers over them and snuggling up against his bare chest, the sounds of the wind and his heartbeat sending her back to sleep.

Hours later when the sun is filtering through the curtains, Kate wakes again and rolls over to read the time on the clock. It's just a little before eight a.m.

Kate kisses Rick's jaw to wake him up, but he doesn't budge.

"Castle," she singsongs, kissing his cheek. He groans and mumbles something incoherent. Kate sits up, running her fingernail across his chest. "Babe, you have class in half an hour. Wake up."

"No class. Don't wanna," Rick says, laying his head in her lap, arms circling her waist. Kate smiles, running her fingers through his hair. He groans as he finally rises, pressing a chaste kiss against her lips.

"Morning, beautiful," he smiles, voice still a little rough with sleep.

"Morning," she replies, holding back a grin. He's adorable.

"I guess I better get ready," he says, sliding out of bed. "Although, I would rather stay and cuddle and do other things," he adds, giving her a coy smile.

"My class finishes in one hour," Rick says ten minutes later, walking out of the bathroom while Kate sits on the bed cross-legged brushing her hair. "Do you want to go out for breakfast afterwards?"

"Can we go to the that new vintage cafe?" Kate asks, eyes lighting up.

"Anywhere you want," Rick replies, kissing her forehead. "I'll pick you up after class. I love you," he says.

"Love you too," she tells him.

/

Kyra walks along campus, only one destination in mind: Rick Castle's apartment. She's nervous. He was really angry with her when they broke up and they didn't end on a good note, but she hopes that she's not too late. That he'll miss her and love her as much as she does him. She gets to his building quickly, only realizing when she arrives that she needs a key to get in.

"Do you need help?" someone asks from behind her. She turns and finds a tall boy staring at her, a little confused.

"I- uh. Yeah, I'm trying to find Rick Castle. I forgot I need a key to get in," Kyra replies, letting out a small laugh.

"Oh, no problem. I live in the unit next to him, I'll let you in."

"Thank you," she says, stepping aside to let him scan his keycard to unlock the door.

"Don't worry about it," he says, holding the door open for her. "Better to wait in here than outside if he's not home right now anyways."

"Yeah, you've got that right," Kyra smiles.

"Good luck," the boy tells her, unlocking his own door and going into his apartment with a smirk.

Good luck? What's that supposed to mean? Kyra wonders, brow furrowed. She takes a deep breath and knocks on the door, determined to make Rick hear her out and understand that she takes full responsibility for the huge mistake she made, but she wants to give them another shot, and can only hope that he'll want the same thing.


	4. Chapter 4

Kate's just finished doing her hair when she hears a knock at the door. She goes to it, swinging it open to reveal a girl with long brown curls staring at her, dark brown eyes wide and a little panicked.

"You're not Rick," the girl says, a bite to her tone. Kate's smile falters.

"Uh- no, but he'll be back soon," she replies. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

"I'm Kyra."

"Oh," Kate says, eyebrows raising. "So you're Kyra."

"And who are you?"

"Kate. Rick's girlfriend."

She watches Kyra's face fall, and then they both turn their heads to the sound of footsteps down the hallway. Kate visibly relaxes when she sees Rick approaching them, lips set in a firm line, and she tries to hide her grin when he brushes past his ex-girlfriend, pressing a kiss to her temple instead.

"Rick," Kyra says admonishingly, surprised that he doesn't throw even a glance in her direction. "Can we talk?"

"No," he tells her, turning to Kate. "Get your coat, I called ahead and booked a table for us at the restaurant." He waits for Kate to be out of earshot when he turns to his ex and says, "I don't know what you're doing here, but just- don't. Okay?"

"I just want to talk to you about the way we left things."

"I don't," he says, grabbing Kate's hand when she appears at his side again, pulling her into the hallway. "We have breakfast to get to," he tells Kyra, doesn't wait for her response before he is leading his girlfriend out of the building.

At breakfast, Kate is quieter than usual. She engages in the conversation plenty, but it's all halfhearted, like she's got a lot on her mind.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he says, breaking the silence.

She gives him a small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'm fine," she tells him.

"Kate, come on. Just tell me what you're thinking."

He watches her contemplate that, clearly unsure as to whether she should voice her thoughts or not, but she must decide that it's better if she does.

"Kyra showing up today," she starts, staring down at their plates, trying to find the right words, "That doesn't change anything, right? Between us?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Maybe it's stupid… but she left you, Rick. You didn't leave her. I know she hurt you, but now she's back and clearly still interested in you and I'm just not really sure where that leaves me."

"Hey, hey," he says, taking both of her hands and holding them tightly in his over the table. "That leaves you where you have been for the past couple of months. Right by my side. Okay? I don't care what she has to say to me. You, this? That's what I want and what I will continue to want. I'm happier with you than I've ever been with anybody, Kate. I love you."

She sighs in relief and gives his hands a squeeze, flashing him a watery smile. "Love you, Rick."


End file.
